Pulitzer Prize, anyone? 🙂

There’s an old saying: never say never. Well, this has been a strange and heady couple years with regard to literature in the JFK assassination case. After being a fervent believer in a conspiracy in President John F. Kennedy’s death (from about the age of 12 to 41!), the Spring of 2007 yielded the Oswald-did-it-alone masterpiece “Reclaiming History” by the highly respected author and former prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi that, quite literally, made my world upside down and had me reassess everything I knew (or thought I knew) about JFK’s murder. Result? While I still believed there mere multiple conspiracies (plural) to kill Kennedy, and that (speaking as the leading civilian Secret Service authority) the Secret Service was grossly negligent on 11/22/63 in Dallas, at the end of the day, Oswald beat everyone to the punch, so to speak; for all intents and purposes, that solved it for me, albeit with a great deal of discomfort.

Then came ANOTHER masterpiece of even greater length (spread over 5 volumes) that, once again, turned my world upside down (some would say, right side up)!

Douglas P. Horne, the author of this latest masterpiece, “Inside The Assassination Records Review Board,” has achieved a literary feat worthy of a Pulitzer Prize. His 5 volume study (5 books in one, so to speak) reads almost like the Defense’s side of the case; the perfect answer to the Prosecution’s (“Reclaiming Historty”) masterful plea to the bench. I am amazed and highly impressed with the book as both a very inspired, well put together piece of art (it’s a great read!) AND for the substance–and length—of the (counter) argument. While Vince Bugliosi did the seeming impossible back in 2007 (convincing me, however begrudgingly, that Oswald acted alone, despite others who wished JFK ill), Douglas P. Horne has turned around and performed HIS own version of the impossible: convincing me I was WRONG in 2007—a delightful, soul searching, slightly embarassing, and honest appraisal. After all, it is somewhat painful, as a seasoned researcher with a “stake” in the case, to admit he was in error…twice!

Bugliosi’s book cleans up the “junk” in the case and presents the best case for Oswald acting alone; STILL a terrific book (THE best Oswald-did-it book that will ever be written—infinitely better than Gerald Posner’s “Case Closed” or the insufficient Warren Report). That said, Douglas P. Horne’s masterwork trumps “Reclaiming History” and presents the best nuts-and-bolts-and-more case for conspiracy I ever thought possible, circa 2009 and post-Bugliosi. While I have sung the praises for many books over the years, no other book (other than David McCullough’s triumphant “Truman”) has moved me to the point where I would recommend the volume achieving the vaunted Pulitzer Prize…yes, I am THAT impressed with Horne’s years of research and insider work on the case. Jim Douglass excellent volume “JFK and the Unspeakable” serves almost as a companion volume—the “warm-up act”—to Horne’s masterwork.

The MEDICAL evidence is the keystone to the case, bar none. With this firmly in mind, Horne, as a respected insider into the U.S. Government’s final investigation into JFK’s assassination in the mid to late 1990’s, has laid out the best case for conspiracy I have ever read, especially at this late juncture (and where my thinking on the case was at not long before his 5 volume study appeared). I won’t spoil things by revealing anything specific in this review (sorry!). I will just say this: get these books asap—you will find yourself (like myself) reading them and refering to them many times over.

I recently admonished people in the research community (of which I am one) to, quote, “get a life” (shades of William Shatner, huh?). Well, disregard that bit of advice: instead, GET DOUGLAS P. HORNE’S BOOKS…NOW! 5 PLUS STARS; THE HIGHEST RATING HUMANLY POSSIBLE.

Vince Palamara

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DOUG HORNE’S COMMENTS:

comments:

Douglas said…

Dear Vince,

Your work in interviewing agents formerly on JFK’s White House Detail, and in analyzing the professional behavior of the White House Detail while on the job from 1961-1963, played a major part in my own analysis of President Kennedy’s assassination.

I am truly gratified that you have returned “to the fold,” as it were—“to the right side of history.”

Vince, I love this country and firmly believe in the promise of its democracy; and I believe that the best way to protect that democracy is to expose ways in which it has been subverted in the recent past. This is what motivated me to finally write this book detailing my ARRB experiences, and setting forth my conclusions about the events of 1963: love of country.

Vince, allow me to quote one of the final lines in the most beloved of all American films, “Casablanca,” which were spoken to Richard Blaine by Victor Laszlo:

“Welcome back to the fight; this time, I know our side will WIN.”

With warm affection and sincere regard,

Doug Horne 12/17/2009

December 17, 2009 7:43 AM 

R. Andrew Kiel said…

Vince,

It is good to have you back to your senses! I found it a little difficult to accept that Bugliosi’s book was so persuasive to cause you to forget your own well documented arguments found in “The 3rd Alternative” as well as in “JFK: The Medical Evidence”. You have done a great service in the quest for the truth in JFK’s murder – just let your own research speak for itself.

Doug Horne’s excellent job of exposing the contradictions in the medical evidence has been available since the AARB published its Final Report in 1998. I quoted him & others from the AARB (as well as yourself) in my book “J. Edgar Hoover: The Father of the Cold War” – which you wrote a nice review about on Amazon – THANK YOU!

I hope that you will keep up the good work & stay confident in what you know to be true – which is difficult enough in this area of research.

Thanks to Doug Horne for his work -I will be reading his 5 volumes soon!

Sincerely,

R. Andrew Kiel

December 30, 2009 12:40 PM 

Vince Palamara said…

Thanks, pal! Yes, I have returned to my senses. Love YOUR book, too :O)